MediaSharing

July 03, 2009

Yesterday, I had a chance to
speak with Dan Greenfield of Bernaise Source Media about the role of online
video in the growing real-time data stream of social media and how brands
should start to think about leveraging its power through digital distribution
channels such as YouTube. The stats were
flying as Dan and I discussed the exponential growth of the online video medium
both on the web and mobile channels.

During the show, Dan
described a number of best practice examples, in particular BlendTec "Will It Blend?" series and the Dove Evolution campaign.

Each of these brands took
advantage of the online video space to correctly show off the strengths of
their brand and/or product as well as thought out of the box and took some
risks. When I asked him why it seemed that
so many brands had yet to embrace YouTube and similar media sharing channels as
part of their communication strategy, Dan suggested that the very nature and culture of the medium has yet to be fully understood.

Quality online video will
continue to drive the currency of the data stream, thus brand marketers must
look for ways to tap into their brand assets and culture and appropriately
extrapolate it via video to be successfully distributed and consumed by the
consumer community. Below are some
critical elements to keep in mind as you develop your digital video messaging
and presence:

Strategy: Dan observed that
much of the YouTube Channels published by brands seemed to be random containers
of videos ranging from old tv ads and c-suite press conferences to
user-generated one-off outtakes. Brands
appear to be throwing up videos to see what sticks. Additionally, most of the channels lacked any
consistent branding. Consumers crave
editorial purpose and your YouTube Channel and its videos shouldn’t be any different. Set a clear objective and tone for the
content that will be showcased and expectations on frequency and dialogue with
viewers. Be sure to integrate links to
other places in your social media footprint so consumers can continue the
conversation and /or debate in their preferred community environments (and take you with
them) beyond your corporate initiated channel.

Culture: Understand the medium and the interface. It seems that the more popular videos have a
combination of the bizarre or extreme to them or at least a common denominator
of humor. But don’t discount consumers’
fascination for good old fashioned acts of everyday nature. National Geographic continues to draw legions
of viewers with their wildlife videos.
Guess some people don’t get tired of giant anaconda feedings…go figure.

Format: Video is about the art of rich
storytelling. You need to have a solid
understanding on how to shoot the subject in order to reflect the story you
want to be told. It’s no wonder why
professionally-produced online video grew 25% last year and garnered 41.6
billion views. Also, just as important,
you have to realize the end device that video will be distributed and
consumed. Don’t forget, there are big
differences between web viewing and mobile viewing – know which one you are
targeting from the very beginning.

Measurement: Online video is not traditional broadcast tv
– so don’t expect to measure it in the same way. Views are great, but how many ratings, comments
and embeds did each piece generate? The
ripple effect of your videos is the cash cow you should be tracking.

Dan’s final advice is a
great mantra for anyone stepping into video:
“Unpolished does not mean authentic; it’s what you’re saying that is the
measure of real authenticity”.

It’s been a month since I
started this series and I am super grateful to Diane Deseta, Sherry Heyl, Peter
Fasano and Dan Greenfield for spending the time and sharing their unique points
of view on past podcast episodes. No
matter what you do in life, I’ve found that it’s better to row with others when
you can. It almost always improves the
quality of the effort and makes the journey a lot more fun.

Next week, our series will
be on hiatus as I journey north to the Twin Cities for a little vacay con mis
primos (that’s Spanish for cousins).
Instead of hosting this podcast on Thursday at 4pm (edt), odds are I
will have a margarita in hand, sitting comfortably somewhere lakeside (if Delta
Airlines or the weather in MSP doesn’t delay my flight). Stay tuned for details on the next episode,
“PART 5: Virtual Worlds: Build It, But Will They Come?” – hope everyone enjoys
a safe and relaxing 4th of July holiday.

June 17, 2009

Its a few minutes before
midnight as I begin crafting this post and I just wrapped the first of two days
with one ofthe most eclectic group of Twitter Characters via the #140conf in
NYC. Over 60 personalities were on hand
to share their perspectives on Twitter’s role in shaping the “State of Now”. It was an incredible time filled with
intensely passionate debates, hilarious rants, live musical artist performances
and heartfelt stories of social good. The
learning and inspiration was not limited to the featured Characters themselves,
but was also found in the serendipitous chats with my fellow Tweeps throughout
the day.

I’ve previously stated that
Twitter, and social media in general, is about passion + sharing =
community.The conversations I heard and
partook in so far have elevated and enhanced my thinking on this concept
ten-fold.In this spirit, I’ve attempted
to capture and share with you one key takeaway from many of today’s keynote
speakers and panelists in hopes it will inspire you to join and continue the
conversation.

@jeffpulver – “The State of
Now” Opening Remarks

“We now have democratized
access to information where anyone and everyone’s voice matters”

@jack – Jack Dorsey,
co-founder & Chairman, Twitter

“Expect the unexpected and
when even possible, be the unexpected” (quote)

@timoreilly – “What Twitter
Has Taught Me” Keynote

“Media is about serving the
community – create more value than what you capture”

@fredwilson – “The Power of
Passed Links and Earned Media” Keynote

“Links are the currency of
the Internet; passed links (via Facebook and Twitter) are becoming the most
powerful social and economic forces”

@johnborthwick – “The
Twitter Ecosystem”

“Quality, innovation and
sustainability will help the make the ecosystem function better”

@DavidSaranga – “The Use of
Twitter for Diplomacy”

“You can’t hide behind the
institution – you need to show your human face to the world”

@petermckay – “The Effect of
Twitter on Newspapers” Panelist

“120-125 is your true
character limit if you really want to make room for conversation” (think
Re-Tweets, additional comments)

@jboitnott – “The Effect of
Twitter on Newspapers” Panelist

“If you follow the right
people, they can curate the Web for you”

@howardlindzon – “Living in
a Twitter World”

“Having the right community
provides a tremendous platform to expand the conversation and create value”

“Listen for the point of
need – people express their needs on Twitter more than anywhere else”

@Zappos – “The Effect of
Twitter on My Business” Panelist

“The company’s brand and the
company’s culture are 2 sides of the same coin; Twitter is a fantastic way to
share that culture with others through friendships that deliver branding and
long-term relationships over time”

@someecards – “The Effect of
Twitter on My Business” Panelist

“The art of Twitter is to
keep your voice, but not make it feel like advertising”

@maegancarberry –
“Possibilities of Bi-Partisanship on Twitter”

“The social contract has
changed – individuals can now be for a particular issue or hashtag, regardless
of party lines”

@scobleizer – “Twitter as a
News Gathering Tool” Moderator

“People are starting to care
as much about global now, as they once did about local – real-time analysis
will continue to improve and only help make it better”

@anncurry – “Twitter as a
News Gathering Tool” Panelist

“Reporting is a service job,
about taking care of people…must stay focused on searching for the truth”

@JohnAByrne – “The Business
Week Perspective on Twitter”

“Engagement and Community
are two of the most important things journalism can do; it’s not a product, but
a process that makes the audience a collaborator”

“Build relationships so you
can earn the right to have more time with individuals, learn from them, and
have deeper engagement”

@1000TimesYes – “Twitter and
the End of Music Criticism”

“There is enough room in 140
characters to have good writing”

@JeffreyHayzlett – “Kodak
and Twitter: What We Are Learning”

“Twitter is changing the
measures from eyeballs and ears to hearts and minds” (quality vs. quantity)

@AudreyMcClellan – “Moms Who
Twitter” Panelist

“It’s an amazing thing to
have community around the clock and experience life with others who can truly
relate to your current situation” (mom of 4)

@Pistachio – “Twitter: A
Love Story”

“Twitter runs on love; it is
full of little trivial interactions wanting to be discovered and known –
helping us all find out what we have in common”

@peggyolson – “Twitter and
Mad Men” Panelist

“Think about building
community – not broadcasting; Listen to what counts; Crowdsourcing is your
friend (ask people for things); Stay on Message and hire the right people (some
born to do it, others absolutely not)

@bettydraper – “Twitter and
Mad Men” Panelist

“Respond to your fans and
incorporate them into Twitter storyline”

@ajkeen – “Twitter’s Power
on the World”

“We are witnessing a shift
from the organization/institution to the 21st century individual –
individual brands are now surpassing corporate ones”

@adventuregirl – “Making of
a Twitter Celebrity” Panelist

“Never give up control or
your product, brand or voice”

@ijustine – “Making of a
Twitter Celebrity” Panelist

“Not all conversations need
to be made public”

@UpbeatNow – “ThinkTweet:
Books that Tweet”

“People want to consume and
share in bite-size chunks; if you want to create a really powerful idea, you
have to put care and thought into it”

@drew – “Twitter for the
Social Good” Panelist

“I’m a cancer survivor who
wanted to turn a extremely tough experience into something positive
(#blamedrewscancer)

@staceymonk – “Twitter for
the Social Good” Panelist

“I believe there is
remarkable human potential that is untapped across the globe – amplify the
voices of those who are working to change/better the world, but do not have
access to the tools”

Believe me there was SO MUCH
MORE that I didn’t capture in this brief snapshot…so be sure to do your own
search on #140conf for additional perspective from these and many other Characters.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of my #140conf takeaways. #smcatl #socialmediaclub #140conf